Friday, October 12, 2007

Pictured is Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jew who is credited with coining the term "genocide." Lemkin was one of the first to warn the world about Hitler's plans to exterminate Jews in Europe as early as 1933 after studying the massacre of over one and a half million Armenians by the Turkish government in 1915.

Yet an editorial in The Washington Post actually used the words "frivilous" and "irrelevant" to describe the vote by the House committee to recognize the events of 1915.

I think it is the Post that is "frivilous" and "irrelevant."

Is history always to be ignored because it is not politically expedient?

Of course, the Post does not want to offend our "good friends" the Turks.

It's bad enough The United States under Bush kisses the ass of the Chinese and Saudis. Now you can add the Turks to that list.

I read a comment somewhere that the Armenian community is being deluded by the Democratic leadership. I think the Armenians know that both the Republicans and Democrats have broken promises time and time again. I doubt if Hillary or Obama would have the guts to stand up to the Turks. It's a sure bet that none of the Republican candidates would get their heads out of their asses long enough to say boo to the Turks.

The best that we as Armenians can do is to keep our voices loud and clear on this issue. At least a few million more people in this country have been educated about the genocide now since the Turks started their crying and whining and their apologists in this country started sounding off.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Around the April 24th commemeration of the Armenian Genocide Managing Editor Douglas Frantz of the Los Angeles Times killed a story on the Armenian Genocide. The basis he used for killing the story were allegations that the Armenian American reporter who wrote the article had a “conflict of interest.”

Visit the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) website to send a free WebFax to the Los Angeles Times calling for the resignation of Doug Frantz.

As well as sending a fax, I sent my own Letter to the Editor submission to the L.A. Times. It has yet to appear on their website or in the print version of the newspaper.

Here is my letter:

To the Los Angeles Times:

The recent decision by the editor of the L.A. Times to pull an article about the Armenian Genocide by an Armenian reporter is a step in the right direction. However, your newspaper has missed a golden opportunity. Why not take the lead in revising history? Instead of merely squashing a story about the well documented genocide of Armenians by Turkey, the L.A. Times and your editors should set a precedent here and now. As such, I suggest you take things to their logical extremes:

Do not allow any Jewish reporter to mention the Holocaust

Do not allow any African American writer to mention slavery

Do not allow any African correspondent to mention the Rwandan genocide or Darfur

Expunge any article by a Southeast Asian who mentions Pol Pot

Deny any Native American writer who mentions cowboys, Indians, or Gen. Custer

While you are at it, why not delete the word genocide entirely from your newspaper?

Sunday, April 15, 2007

An editorial in the New York Times, dated April 13, 2007 describes how the United Nations' new leadership has bowed to Turkish pressure and cancelled an exhibit commenrating the Rwandan genocide. It seems the Turks were offended because the exhibit mentions the Armenian genocide. The exhibit was postponed and no new date has been scheduled.

You can add Sceretary General Ban Ki-moon and his new administration to the list of spineless genocide deniers. The U.N. surely won't be able to to confront the current genocide in Darfur, if they can't find the courage to admit to the first genocide of the 20th century.

As for the Turks, as the Times editorial says, the more they deny past crimes against humanity, the more attention they bring to the Armenian genocide.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

A bill now before Congress would classify the murder of a million and a half Armenians in 1915 as a genocide. Although the bill is backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Bush administration is continuing its usual cynical behavior. Acoording to a story in the New York Times on March 29, 2007, Condoleeza Rice and Robert Gates have joined the ranks of genocide deniers. Their rationale: the Turks cut military contracts with the French after the French Assembly voted to make denial of genocide a crime.

What's next, Bushies, denying the historical fact that slavery ever took place in the U.S?

Write to your elected representatives in Washington today and send a loud and clear message: Stop the denial and recognize the Armenian genocide.